Alternate Battle for Dream Island

ABFDIA 18a: You're A Big Nuisance

Pin and Taco continued watching as Coiny dug a massive hole for himself.

Time continued to pass. The world continued to spin. And the situation continued to stay the same. They weren't gonna be budging from this position anytime soon, and neither was Golf Ball. The situation was exactly the same as it was in the past, and will likely be exactly the same as it will be in the future. Despite that, though, it's good to remind yourself of the current status quo, of the way things are now. Even when the situation is one of desperation, depression, and despair, one which you have to begrudgingly face each and every single day, one that you spend all the time thinking of ways to hide from it. *Especially* when the situation is like that, really.

The constant reminders that the world sucks and will continued to do so is a painful one, but it's also a *necessary* one. If one constantly tries to evade it at all costs, refusing to face it and instead spending their lives living in blissful ignorance, they'll continue to suffer regardless. Problems don't just *disappear* when you stop looking at them; it, like the many other things in the universe, have their own lives and directions that cannot be stopped unless *somebody* specifically exerts their time, attention, and effort towards it. Perhaps one can become accustomed to it, grow numb to it, live the rest of their lives accepting that this'll continue to be a pain in their side, a hindrance for as long as they live. But not Pin. *Absolutely* not. She couldn't possibly sit back and watch everyone continue to linger and languish in their own misery, even if they're as obnoxious and insufferable as Coiny. Partly because that was part of her obligations, her *duty* as leader, and partly because she can act all smug once they manage to see the error of their ways.

The balance of the two is hard to say.

The pushpin and the taco were more than content to watch the coin creature continue burying himself further for the rest of the day, but unfortunately they had other responsibilities to attend to. The thumbtack glared at the other one, a mild frown in her face. "...You should join him again, I think." She'd remark. The consumable one grumbled in response. "*Seriously*?" She'd shake her head. "Do you have any idea how much of a pain it is to get dirt out of your food?" She'd blink. "...Do you even *eat* food?" "Yes, yes, it's yet another round of pain and misery." The red one remarked. "I'm very well aware. But just think for a second: sooner or later he's gonna realize that he's the only one doing any work. Any work that he knows of, anyway." She'd fall silent for a bit, watching the foodstuff's reaction. "He's then gonna see us watching over him, seemingly doing nothing of note, and then he's gonna get angry again." She'd let out a deep sigh. "You and I can disagree over a lot of things, but perhaps that's the *one* thing we can agree on."

Taco raised an eyebrow. "How about *you* do some work yourself?" She'd ask. "I haven't seen you getting dirty; you've been sitting here this whole time." "You don't think I am?" Pin asked. "My purpose here is two-fold: one, somebody has to supervise and oversee everything, make sure everything is going according to plan, and taking care of *troublemakers*." She'd angrily glare at Coiny again. "Two, in the *inevitable* case of Golf Ball being forced out of her hiding place, I'm the only one she'll listen to. Coiny's... *Coiny*, and you're a stranger to her."

The edible one seethed. She'd once again consider the question that's been bouncing around her head this entire time: why doesn't she just *leave*? They're in this vast, open plain. She fancied her odds of being able to outrun and outlast Pin in a chase. And even if she does end up getting caught by the Announcer, surely whatever he has in mind can't be any worse than... *this*. Besides, she could just lie and say that she was coming up with her own plan to capture GB, right?

But that leads into yet *another* question: what was she even gonna do afterwards? Say she manages to make her escape, somehow eluding *everyone*. What then? She didn't exactly have a home to return to, not anymore. She would be all alone, lost in this strange little world, a world that was *very* clearly hostile to people like her. Was she ever gonna be able to be comfortable? Be able to *actually* enjoy life?